A scene from the opera "Werther" by the Korea National Opera at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater, Thursday / Courtesy of Korea National Opera
On Thursday, the Korea National Opera staged one of literature's most famous tragedies as a cinematic meditation, pairing soaring vocals with images from film and ballet to explore love, duty, sincerity and death in contemporary Korea.
Based on Goethe’s 18th-century novel “The Sorrow of Young Werther,” the four-act French opera "Werther" premiered in Vienna in 1892 before being staged in Paris the following year. The work is considered composer Jules Massenet’s best and most famous work, finely wrought with a psychologically insightful score.
In Seoul, the company has refocused the opera through the often-overlooked perspective of Charlotte, casting a mezzo-soprano in the role and emphasizing the conflict the character feels as she is torn between passion and responsibility.
Thursday's performance stand out also stood out for its unique production, acting as the opera debut for Park Jong-won, the veteran filmmaker behind titles such as “Guro Arirang” (1989) and “Our Twisted Hero” (1992).
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Park said he structured “Werther” with what he calls cinematic continuity, using careful blocking, reactions and transitions to create a linear emotional thread he felt is missing in more conventional opera staging.
“In films, the story must flow shot by shot so viewers keep wondering what this person will do next,” Park told The Korea Times before the performance, saying that he hoped opera audiences would feel the same sense of suspense around the characters’ psychology.
The cast rotates tenors Lee Bum-joo and Kim Yo-han in the title role and mezzos Jeong Ju-yeon and Karis Tucker as Charlotte.
The Korea National Symphony Orchestra provides the music, led by conductor Hong Seok-won, who served as chief conductor at the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria and artistic director of the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, is currently the principal guest conductor for the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and is perhaps best known locally for conducting “La Traviata” in celebration of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Park innovations include using video projections between scenes to suggest shifting time and a flux in the characters' inner states, rather than simply decorating the set.
Source: Korea Times News
